The present invention relates to edible cake decorations.
Decorations are placed on the surface of cakes to indicate a particular occasion for example a decoration in the form of holly or a Christmas tree to signify Christmas.
Traditionally such decorations are made of plastics, paper or plaster and must be removed before the cake is consumed.
It is known to replace the imitation decorations with edible decorations formed from marzipan. However marzipan decorations are hand made and as such costly to produce, furthermore marzipan contains nuts which may cause serious allergy problems with a minority of consumers.
In order to overcome these problems decorations have been made from sugarpaste. A traditional recipe for sugarpaste comprises:
The known sugarpaste has a relatively high water content making it difficult to mould into a required shape not only because of its consistency, but because as the paste is handled it dries causing cracking of the decoration. Furthermore as the thickness of the paste varies across the profile of the decorations, different areas of the paste will dry at different rates, further increasing the incidence of cracking. Also, because of the relatively high water content the decorations cannot readily hold a required shape, this problem is further exasperated if the decoration is applied to a freshly iced (flooded) cake because the sugar in the decoration draws further water into the structure of the decoration from the wet icing. The cracking of the decoration as it dries leads to a reduction in the shelf-life thereof. It is also difficult to add colour to the decoration, because the water based food dies are adsorbed into the structure further leading to the dissolution of its shape and thereby to non-uniform colouring and pattern on the surface of the decoration. For this reason the sugarpaste decoration is prepared in a dry atmosphere at a temperature of 50-60xc2x0 in order to prevent additional moisture entering its structure.
Because of the above drawbacks the known sugarpaste is restricted to the formation of single dimensional items of simple shape that is flat plaques. Furthermore, even in single-dimensional form the sugarpaste lacks flexibility once dry and therefore cannot be applied to and adhere to uneven surfaces; therefore cannot be bent around the edges of a cake, without breaking. Decorations made of sugarpaste also contain nuts which may cause serious allergy problems with a minority of consumers. The sugarpaste is also stiffened by gelatine making it unsuitable for vegetarians.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome or alleviate the above described drawbacks.
It is a further object to provide a sugarpaste which is flexible and can be readily formed into the required shape and which retains that shape when applied to an item to be decorated.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a sugarpaste that has a long shelf-life, long term flexibility and is stable in holding colours.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided an edible decoration comprising a sugarpaste formulation including at least one humectant.
The humectant increases the flexibility of the decoration and makes it softer and moister than standard sugarpaste, it also helps preserve the water content. This reduces the incidence of cracking as the decoration dries and allows it to be shaped to fit around an item to be decorated without degradation of its pattern/colouring.
Preferably, the sugarpaste also contains at least one gum. This further enhances the flexibility of the decoration. The action of the gum not only aids flexibility but also attracts xe2x80x98freexe2x80x99 moisture in the humidification chamber. Preferably the gum is at least one of the group emulsifiers and vegetable glycerine.
In a preferred embodiment the sugarpaste comprises 16 to 23% by weight humectant. Preferably the humectant is 19.5% by weight of the sugarpaste formulation. Preferably the humectants comprise at least one of the group glucose syrup, invert sugar, emulsifier (E414 Acacia Gum, E471 glycerine monosterate and E415 Xanthan Gum) and vegetable glycerine, Preferably the remainder of the sugarpaste comprises icing sugar, hydrogenated vegetable oil and water, this has the advantage that the sugarpaste is suitable for vegetarians and is nut-free. In a preferred embodiment the decoration contains substantially 2.27% by weight water; the presence of the humectant and/or gum preserves the flexibility of the product without the necessity for too much water within the sugarpaste, there is therefore less water in the sugarpaste when compared to the previously known sugarpaste because less water is required to mix the ingredients. The lower level of water minimises leaching of colour and assists in maintaining flexibility.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention a method of manufacture of 3-D edible decoration is provided comprising mixing ingredients to form a sugarpaste, the ingredients comprising at least one humectant, and then exposing the sugarpaste to a humid environment.
This has the advantage that the humectant absorbs moisture from the humid environment and this preserves the moisture content of the sugarpaste preventing it drying out too quickly.
Preferably, the humid atmosphere is at ambient temperature. In a preferred embodiment the temperature of the environment is 18xc2x0 C. to 23xc2x0 C. and the relative humidity is 55 to 80%. Preferably the sugarpaste is left in the humid environment for at least 6 hours.
Preferably the sugarpaste is printed with the required colours and patterns before it is exposed to the humid environment. This has the advantage that the colour/pattern is allowed to fix before additional moisture is added. Preferably the printing is carried out by a method of silk-screen printing in which the position of the applied colours and pattern has been determined from a scanned single dimensional image of the required 3-D decoration which has been cross-referenced to a second image of a finished 3-D decoration in order to determine the position of the patterns and colours on the sugarpaste.
Preferably after the sugarpaste has absorbed moisture from the humid environment it is vacuum formed to provide the 3-D shape for the decoration. The moisture and humectant within the sugarpaste allow the sugarpaste to be moulded to the required shape without loss of integrity and deformation of the pattern.
Preferably, after vacuum forming the periphery of the sugarpaste is trimmed and the sugarpaste is allowed to dry. Preferably the trimming is automated and the cutter used to trim has been profiled by computer with the outline of the required decoration.
In accordance with a third aspect of the invention there is provided a blister for use in the method of manufacture of the edible decoration, the blister having a profiled surface which forms a template for the vacuum forming process and having a plurality of ventilation holes therein. This has the advantage of forming a surface against which the sugarpaste can be drawn during the vacuum forming process. Also, the ventilation holes ventilate the blister in order to allow the vacuum to operate effectively and helps create sufficient draw to form the shape of the decoration whilst allowing the colours and pattern on the sugarpaste to locate to the correct area of the decoration. Also, the sugarpaste is drawn into the ventilation holes during vacuum forming which help maintain the position of the decoration during forming.
Preferably, the blister has a higher concentration of ventilation holes in the vicinity of a raised feature of the finished decoration. This helps draw the sugarpaste over a raised area of the blister.
In a preferred embodiment, the blisters are formed in a plastics sheet. This has the advantage that the sheet can be used as a tray for the transportation and packaging of the decorations.
Preferably, the number and concentration of the ventilation holes cut in the blister is predetermined from a scanned image of the required 3-D decoration.